1 Care bestowed
2 on his Infan-
3 try.
4 Inefficient
5 state of the
6 Sikh Cavalry.
7 50 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
8 unremitting roll. “We have ourselves been present
9 on such occasions, and the sound was perfectly
10 deafening ; the Maharajah used to remark “ That is
11 the way I fire against my enemies in battle, only
12 quicker, and with many more guns and muskets
13 than are now present.” While sitting with the
14 Maharajah at the field-day, he asked us “ Which side
15 of the square fired the best?” The question was
16 difficult to answer, but we hazarded the opinion
17 that a certain side did so, and he said he was of
18 the same way of thinking, and ordered the Sirdar
19 who commanded to be summoned to his presence.
20 This was no other than Tej Singh, who received a
21 purse and was told that “ he did well!” As to the
22 infantry of the Khulsa troops, great care and atten-
23 tion were bestowed on them by the French officers :
24 they were regularly drilled daily, until they became
25 perfect in the use of the musket and sword. The
26 latter is a weapon often employed by the Sikhs,
27 when their columns are broken. On such occa-
28 sions, they throw away their muskets and seize
29 their swords, which are exceedingly sharp, heavy,
30 and efficient weapons. The artillery-men are like-
31 wise skilled in the use of this weapon, with which
32 they defend themselves when their guns are spiked.
33 Since the death of Allard, the discipline of the
34 Sikh cavalry has been neglected, and throughout
35 the campaign against the British, the Ghorchurrahs
36 were next to useless) Among the best cavalry
37 officers in the service of Runjeet Singh, Sirdar
38 Soochet Singh stood pre-eminent. But in their best